Fostering Belonging in Teaching

Overview

What does it mean to belong on campus? 

Being in community with others, feeling part of a group, and having a sense of belonging are fundamental to our well-being and psychological health(link is external). Previous studies(link is external) show how a student’s sense of belonging can grow from numerous academic settings and contexts, like being involved in a campus community(link is external), feeling accepted and respected(link is external) when interacting with peers and faculty, and nurturing a psychological sense of identification and affiliation(link is external) to the university. Taken together, this research suggests that there are many opportunities to foster (and harm) a student’s sense of belonging, including, but not limited to, the classroom, office hours, department gatherings, in conversations with peers, and through university policies.

Belonging in Higher Education

Belonging is widely considered a basic human need(link is external), yet many students experience feelings of isolation and exclusion during their academic careers. Research suggests there are several causes motivating feelings of exclusion on a college campus, many of which are rooted in institutional bias and oppression. Certain student groups, like students of color or those with disabilities, face distinct challenges that affect their sense of belonging in higher education. For example, hostile racial climates are shown to have a direct and negative impact(link is external) on feelings of belonging for students of color. For students with disabilities, belonging is interconnected with self-advocacy, social relationships, and student success(link is external). Students with disabilities who do not have access to self-advocacy support structures, like workshops, campus services, and social networks, experience lower academic self-confidence(link is external) and confront unique challenges when completing traditional academic tasks(link is external) (e.g., exams, study methods, assignments, etc.). Transfer students also face institutional barriers from simply having less time to accumulate experiences and attain lasting connections(link is external) that foster belonging in comparison to first-year entrance students.

More recently, studies show Gen Z adults aged 18-22 are lonelier than previous generations(link is external). The COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated feelings of isolation and loneliness(link is external) for adolescents and young adults. Our undergraduate students’ own journeys with mental health(link is external), such as navigating basic needs, depression, and housing insecurity, were also responsive to active phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the national conversation regarding the who, when, and why of belonging has evolved over time to consider more nuanced and specific contexts, like disciplinary fields(link is external), the connection between belonging and academic achievement and health remains.

Teaching Strategies and Recommendations

Starting Point for Growth: Self-Reflection & Awareness

What does belonging mean to you? Take a moment to reflect on the places, people, and moments that have shaped who you are today by crafting an “I Am From” poem(link is external). The University of Minnesota’s Global Programs and Strategy Alliance and the Center for Educational Innovation developed an activity guide(link is external) designed to help instructors and students alike recognize and appreciate diverse experiences and intersectional identities. Consider using this exercise to surface what fosters a sense of belonging for you and your students.

Step-by-step Reflection Activity

I am from…

Familiar foods, especially those associated with family gatherings

I am from…

Sights, sounds, and smells from your neighborhood

I am from…

Thinking, feeling, and doing as a student

I am from…

Familiar sayings heard repeatedly growing up

I am from

Familiar people, family members, friends, and ancestors

I am from…

Value or short phrase to describe your teaching

I am from

Value or short phrase to describe your mission as an educator

Example: Where I’m From by George Ella Lyon(link is external)

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening,
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush
the Dutch elm
whose long-gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own.

I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,
        from Imogene and Alafair.
I’m from the know-it-alls
         and the pass-it-ons,
from Perk up! and Pipe down!
I’m from He restoreth my soul
        with a cottonball lamb
        and ten verses I can say myself.



Excerpt retrieved from author’s website(link is external)

Listen to the audio version 

Before Teaching

During Teaching

After Teaching